Karl Haas
Encyclopedia
Karl Haas was a German
-American
classical music radio host, whose distinctively sonorous voice and humanistic approach to making music appreciation
contagious made him well-received by many. He was the host of the classical music radio program Adventures in Good Music
, which was syndicated to commercial and public radio stations around the world. He also published a book, Inside Music. In addition to being a musicologist, Haas was also an accomplished pianist
and conductor
.
, Palatinate in 1913. He studied at the Mannheim
Conservatory, and earned a doctorate
in music literature from the University of Heidelberg. He studied piano
with Artur Schnabel
. Haas, who was Jewish, left Germany in 1936 with the rise of Nazism
. He first settled in Detroit, Michigan
, but lived in other places before returning to Detroit near the end of his life.
, Michigan
in 1959. Syndicated broadcasts of the show across the United States
began in 1970 on WCLV
, a Cleveland
, Ohio
radio station. Eventually syndicated to commercial and public radio stations around the world, the show became the world's most widely listened-to classical music
radio program.
The theme music
for Adventures in Good Music was the 2nd movement from Beethoven
's "Pathétique" Sonata
(Sonata No. 8 in C minor), performed by Haas himself. Haas started every show with his trademark greeting "Hello everyone," and even titled a track of his CD as such. For several years, the program had the most listeners of any classical music radio show in the world.
Haas received the Charles Frankel Award of the National Endowment for the Humanities
in 1991. President George H. W. Bush
personally presented the award to Haas at the White House
. Haas also twice won the George Foster Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting. In 1997 he became the first classical music broadcaster to be named to the National Radio Hall of Fame.
Haas did not produce any new episodes of the show in the last two years of his life. WCLV continued to syndicate recordings of his previous shows until June 2007. That month, WCLV announced "with great regret" that it would broadcast and syndicate its last Adventures in Good Music program on June 29, 2007. The announcement explained that the number of stations that carried the show had dropped from well over 400 to fewer than 20, which made it unfeasible to continue the program's national distribution.
Although most episodes of Adventures in Good Music are not available publicly because of copyright restrictions, three CDs featuring Haas and his commentary have been issued: The Romantic Piano, The Story of the Bells, and Song and Dance.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
classical music radio host, whose distinctively sonorous voice and humanistic approach to making music appreciation
Music appreciation
Music appreciation is teaching people what to listen for and to appreciate different types of music. Usually music appreciation classes involve some history lessons to explain why people of a certain era liked the music that they did...
contagious made him well-received by many. He was the host of the classical music radio program Adventures in Good Music
Adventures in Good Music
Adventures in Good Music, hosted by Karl Haas, was radio's most widely listened-to classical music program, and aired nationally in the U.S. from 1970 to 2007. Adventures in Good Music was also syndicated to commercial and public radio stations around the world...
, which was syndicated to commercial and public radio stations around the world. He also published a book, Inside Music. In addition to being a musicologist, Haas was also an accomplished pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
.
Early life
Haas was born in SpeyerSpeyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
, Palatinate in 1913. He studied at the Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
Conservatory, and earned a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in music literature from the University of Heidelberg. He studied piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
with Artur Schnabel
Artur Schnabel
Artur Schnabel was an Austrian classical pianist, who also composed and taught. Schnabel was known for his intellectual seriousness as a musician, avoiding pure technical bravura...
. Haas, who was Jewish, left Germany in 1936 with the rise of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. He first settled in Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, but lived in other places before returning to Detroit near the end of his life.
Adventures in Good Music
Haas began his radio program Adventures in Good Music on WJR in DetroitDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
in 1959. Syndicated broadcasts of the show across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
began in 1970 on WCLV
WCLV
WCLV — branded WCLV 104.9 — is the classical radio station licensed to Lorain, Ohio serving Greater Cleveland and western parts of surrounding Northeast Ohio; WCLV is one of the few remaining classical music stations in the United States....
, a Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
radio station. Eventually syndicated to commercial and public radio stations around the world, the show became the world's most widely listened-to classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
radio program.
The theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
for Adventures in Good Music was the 2nd movement from Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
's "Pathétique" Sonata
Piano Sonata No. 8 (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, commonly known as Sonata Pathétique, was written in 1798 when the composer was 27 years old, and was published in 1799. Beethoven dedicated the work to his friend Prince Karl von Lichnowsky...
(Sonata No. 8 in C minor), performed by Haas himself. Haas started every show with his trademark greeting "Hello everyone," and even titled a track of his CD as such. For several years, the program had the most listeners of any classical music radio show in the world.
Haas received the Charles Frankel Award of the National Endowment for the Humanities
National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
in 1991. President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
personally presented the award to Haas at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. Haas also twice won the George Foster Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting. In 1997 he became the first classical music broadcaster to be named to the National Radio Hall of Fame.
Haas did not produce any new episodes of the show in the last two years of his life. WCLV continued to syndicate recordings of his previous shows until June 2007. That month, WCLV announced "with great regret" that it would broadcast and syndicate its last Adventures in Good Music program on June 29, 2007. The announcement explained that the number of stations that carried the show had dropped from well over 400 to fewer than 20, which made it unfeasible to continue the program's national distribution.
Although most episodes of Adventures in Good Music are not available publicly because of copyright restrictions, three CDs featuring Haas and his commentary have been issued: The Romantic Piano, The Story of the Bells, and Song and Dance.
Personal life
Haas and his wife Trudie, who passed away in 1977, had two sons, Jeffrey and Andrew, and one daughter, Alyce.External links
- Video in which Karl Haas briefly explains why he devoted his entire life to music (hosted by Fine Arts Radio International)
- Obituary in the Washington Post February 8, 2005; Page B06
- Haas inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame
- Memorial piece about Karl Haas and his radio style
- Interview by Bruce Duffie, October 28, 1989